Nice Tracks

I skied the famed and storied Lake Elmo Park Reserve today with John Wyland, Jerry Engen and Lori Belz. The groomer was out just before we got there. Yesterday's snowfall along with excellent grooming had the tracks in great shape for classic skiing! We got in 1 hour 46 minutes. One picture is of me and John Wyland. The other is Lori Belz with her baclava on...

Jay T's Adirondack Vacation

Kathleen and I made our annual Christmas trip to Upstate New York where she grew up. The Glens Falls area to be precise but we stayed with her sister twenty minutes south in Saratoga. Anyway, they had 2 feet of snow when we got there... Rain followed by temps in the 30s, 40s and 50s for several days wrecked the ski trails. After the rain, the trails froze like a solid sheet of ice. I got out one day on the cross country skis. The temp warmed the trail up a little but it was still tough skiing. I skied for a little over an hour Crandall Park in Glens Falls after first trying the Queensbury Trails. Queensbury was a complete sheet of ice. Crandall Park had some high scholl kids there and they busted it up a little bit. There were tons of pine needles in the trail though. The other big workout was 30 minutes of snowshoeing with Kathleen, my sister-in-law and niece. Check out the picture of the Queensbury Trails. They don't appear to be icey in the pic but they were...

Timing Is Everything

Today's workout was standing outside in below zero weather and doing hand back-up timing of the Junior Olympic cross country ski sprint races at Theodore Wirth Park. The good thing was, it was over in less than an hour. Give, give, give... No need to do anything aerobic in that cold...

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The after work workout for Friday the 19th was 1 hour 20 minutes of skate skiing at the famed and storied Comenkollen. Tom Bengel joined me as a couple of high school teams were on the trails too. Anyway, I'm another year older...

Skiing On The East Side

I joined John Wyland for 1 hour and 20 minutes of classic skiing at Lake Elmo Park Reserve. The trail was rolled but not tracked. It was pretty decent skiing though.

Taking The Boards

I took the classic ski boards over to Como Park for a little skiing after work today. The snow was falling down and the kick wax I had on from last year worked great. I made one full loop but found the best tracks in the glacier bowl area so that's where I stayed. The Central Team was classic skiing too.

Long Time Cold...

The cold from parts unknown has lasted for close to a month now. It was bad for the first week and then it got better but it still lingered. Then, last Tuesday, it started to come back again. By Wednesday, I was hacking up mucus again... I stayed away from exercise until today when I went out for an easy 1:42 skate ski with John Wyland at Como Park. After that, John and I stopped by the Bicycle Chain and talked to Dave and Tim. The Hed wheel deal seems pretty good for our Loon State team. After that, I stopped by Now Bikes and talked to Tracy, Mike and Ambrose. They've got the virtual time trial series going again. Just stop by with your bike and they'll set you up.

The Famed And Storied Comenkollen

What a day at the famed and storied Comenkollen ski course, aka, Como Park. The trail was rolled and it is in good shape. I skate skied after work with Bill Stuber, John O'Connell, Jay Wenner and time trial ace Rick Christiansen.

Crashing The Party

The Loon State awards party and get together was a blast Saturday night. Lots of Loons, great food and party crashers... Among the Loons were Mike Delaney, Skibby, Cleary, Frye, Macy, Hoagland, Kullman, Loecken, Atherton, Paidosh, Schmeicel, Cullens, Rotach, Kermsich, Belz, Lindgren and many more. The party crashers included Dan Swanson, Pat Lemieux, Tim Mulrooney and many more...

On The Terrace

Tom Bengel and I went skate skiing at Terrace Oaks park in Burnsville on Saturday. The conditions were not great but skiable. All of the up-hills had to be walked due to gravel beneath the snow.

More Skiing

Another day Thursday at the famed and storied east metro swamp... As usual, skate skiing on the snow covered ice. John O'Connell joined me as the high school kids were circling the swamp. Check out the picture with the racers... As all high school kids do, standing around on skis is part of the training...

Back To The Swamp

Tommy Bengel and I went to one of the many east metro swamps and skate skied for 1 1/2 hours. The swamp is in excellent shape after numerous high school kids skied-in a nice perimeter loop. Check out the picture.

Jay T's Thanksgiving Ski Camp Sunday

I tried out Como Park after the snowfall today but it wasn't any good. The next option was swamp skiing on one of the many Saint Paul area swamps. It was a little icy at first but I skied-in a nice skating track. The swamps should be good until we get more snow for the trails. Check out the picture of the swamp.

Jay T's Thanksgiving Ski Camp Saturday

Today's Thanksgiving Ski Camp activity was a drive up to Hayward, Wisconsin to work on John Wyland's cabin. John and Jeff Arndt drove up with me. First stop was Menard's and then on to the cabin. Johnny is building a bunkhouse so we put up the roof rafters. We cut the boards to size and hand nailed them while also using a nail gun. We couldn't get the nail gun into some of the tight spaces though. That was all we could get done while it was still light out. Anyway, that was the hardest part. The rest should go pretty fast.

Jay T's Thanksgiving Ski Camp Friday

Jay T's Thanksgiving Ski Camp actually got underway on Tuesday and Wednesday with skiing at Elm Creek. After a day off for continual eating, Jay T's Thanksgiving Ski Camp resumed today at the famed and storied trails of Troll Hollow. Yes, the whole man-made snow loop is open. That means you get to go up a couple of big hills unlike the other local man-made snow areas... I skied with John Wyland, Stu Benson, Jay Wenner, Jerry Engen and Barry Torgerson. Steve Edling and Tom Krenz showed up as I was leaving. Anyway, I got in some good laps and went to the top of the xc trail and beyond seven times.

Classic Day

It was another great day for skiing at Elm Creek Park Reserve. I got in a bunch of laps on the classic skis. The crown base didn't work too well with all of the ice in the snow. Tom and Lee Bengel showed up for some classic too. A couple of bikers, Mike Lala among them, were out riding the roads and stopped by to check out the skiing.

Spinning The Wheel

The after work routine today was spinning in circles around the man-made snow loop at Elm Creek Park Reserve. I grabbed the beater Peltonens and skated on the trail. It was pretty comfortable with temps above freezing. I skied a few laps with Kim Ruud and a bunch of laps with Dick Hedenstrom.

Ski Training Weekend

Saturday and Sunday were ski training days as the focus shifts away from the bike for the winter. Yesterday, I pole-hiked Sunfish Park in Lake Elmo with Jerry Engen and Lori Belz. Today, I went to Trollhaugen for some cross country skiing with Tom and Lee Bengel and Bill Stuber. Dave Dow, Gary Johnson, Ron Lowrie, Dave Gorange, Steve Thatcher, Greg and Pam Weier, Corey Coogan and John O'Connell were there too. I didn't ski too hard though because I have a cold. The picture is of me taking the rope tow...

Ski Training For Fitness

I got back on the rollerskis on Tuesday, November 18th. As usual, the route was the neighborhood loop. Right after I started, I came across Ben Popp in his fancy Endurance Athlete van. We each gave a wave... Anyway, I skated on the Marwes. It will be rollerskiing from now on (unless we get some really nice weather) until the snow falls and then it will be back on the skis with some spinning on the trainer thrown in. Today, I did some hiking at a local wildlife management area. I brought my shotgun along but only flushed some doves. No need to shoot them. I'm after pheasants...

Swing And A Miss...

I skipped the State Cross Championships because my upper back was giving me some problems. Carrying the bike would have been too painful. Instead, I hunted the fields of the east metro. Jerry Engen, his grandson Zack and I went after pheasants with Jerry's buddy Mike who has two dogs. The dogs pointed whenever they found a pheasant in the swamp grass. The first two they jumped were hens so we had to hold our fire. They found a third one which stayed in the grass until we were right on it. It was a rooster and it blasted out of the grass right underneath us. I swung the shotgun around and pulled the trigger. Miss! I pulled the trigger again on the second barrel but by then it was too far away... Another rooster blasted out of the grass a hundred yards away. Scared by the sound of the shotgun, it was too far to shoot. That was it for the swamp. Jerry's buddy Mike had to leave but his son Dave dropped by. We were without the dogs but we kept hunting anyway. We drove through a wooded island surrounded by gleaned corn fields. There were those plants with the sticky burrs everywhere. We were all getting burrs on our clothing. I was walking through the dense brush picking off burrs when I flushed another rooster. By the time I got my finger on the trigger and shot, the bird had some trees between us. Zack took a shot too but missed. While we didn't get any pheasants, it was a greeat day to be out walking the fields, swamps and woodlines.

3,000...

I hit the 3,000 mile mark for the year today with a 14 mile, night-time, ride after work. Since it was wet, I took the single-speed and rode down east on Summit, up the high bridge and Smith Avenue and then into West Saint Paul. I came back down Smith and the High Bridge and then went up Irvine Hill before riding home. The last three years I rode 3800, 4200 and 4100 so I was a little behind this year...

Cleaning The Cross Bike

The best way to clean a cyclocross bike is to take it out for a road ride so that's what I did after work today. I rode down to the U of M and then over to Plymouth Avenue and back for a total of 19 1/2 miles. The tires were clean when I got home.

The Big Effort

The race of the day was the Lake Rebecca cyclocross event. As usual, I entered the 45+ and planned on staying with Tom Bengel and Rob Belz. After about 500 yards though, my brake was rubbing really hard on the wheel... I stopped to try to fix it but I left my tool kit back at the start. I rode the course backwards to find a mini tool. A spectator had one and gave it to me. However, on closer inspection, it wasn't the brake, it was the wheel that came loose and jammed against the chain stay... I re-set the wheel in the dropouts and kept going. By that time however, everyone was at least a half mile ahead of me. I finished the first lap and then dropped out. Better to be DNF than DFL... The course was pretty muddy anyway so I rode around for a while on the asphalt trail. I got in 7 miles...

Testing the Knee

The after work ride was a 12 1/2 mile test of my right knee while dodging rain. I took out the road bike and cruised down Summit to the river where I rode East River Road and River Blvd. Anyway, the knee is hurting. Putting pressure on it while climbing is the most difficult. Standing on the pedals helps a little bit. I'll rest it a few days.

Sports Afield

After the last sales call of the day I dropped by a state wildlife management area for a little pheasant hunting... Once again, the pheasants won... I only walked the fields for about 45 minutes. On the way home, I dropped into the polling place to throw my vote away as usual. I'm out-numbered in my neighborhood... When I got home, I took the cyclocross bike out and rode east on Summit. I climbed Irvine, Ramsey Hill and Grand Hill. On the way back, I rode some single track. I had trouble putting pressure on the pedals. Banging my knee on the door jam yesterday has it swollen and sore. I'm sure it will settle down by the next race...

On The Road Bike

Even though it's cross season, I had to take out the road bike on such a nice day. I got in a little over 18 1/2 miles as I went east on Summit, up the High Bridge and then on to Fort Snelling and Minnehaha Park.

Great Weather - Great Rides

Taking advantage of the recent great weather, I got a few rides in plus a race the past few days. On Thursday 10-30, Tom Bengel, Rob Belz and I rode the cyclocross training course at the park across the river. We went up the stairs four times and climbed the hill three times. We got in 16 1/2 miles. Saturday 11-1, was the Red Barn Cyclocross race. I placed 17th overall out of 35 in the second B event. The race went pretty well as the flat course suits me perfectly. The big hill climb got me every lap though. Mike Lyner and I were following John Stamm on the first lap when Lyner crashed in a corner. I rode over him and hit the ground getting some scrapes on my forehead. We lost Stamm at that point so I followed Lyner. We passed a few riders who got by us during the crash and kept on charging. Lyner ran faster up the hill than I did and he recovered better at the top. I had to keep chasing him down on every lap. On the last lap, I stopped chasing him since I knew he would get me on the hill which was right before the finish line. I checked back and no one else was close so I cruised on in to the finish. Among those placing in front of me were Paul McKinney, Dag Selander, Mark Engen, Rob Ogren, John Stamm and Lyner. Some of the guys who finished behind me included Dan Meyer (mechanical) Todd Trembley, Tom Bengel, Tim Power and Jack Stack. Others racing the other events included Lori Belz, Jerry Engen, Linda Sone, Dan Casper and my Loon State teammates Rob Belz, Bill Stuber, Jordan Cullen, Jim Cullen, Andy Frye, Chad Macy and Tom Manderfeld. I got in 17 1/2 miles. Sunday was another nice day. My neighbor Steve and I rode the Fat Tire Test Track that runs from Mac-Groveland to downtown Saint Paul, We rode some trails next to the river too. We got in a little over 11 miles.

Cruising The North End

I rode Saint Paul's north end after work. As usual lately, I rode the Redline cyclocross bike and searched for some new trails. I kept riding trails I'd ridden before though... I got in 15 miles.

Afton Cyclocross Race Report

What a great day for a cyclocross race! Too bad the course was at Afton Alps and there was a big hill to climb... Everyone knows how much I like hills... The good thing was, they split the B Race. The B Cat 3 guys went 45 minutes and then the 45+ men were grouped with the 123 women for another 45 minutes. Loon State was well represented with Jordan Cullen winning the C race. The B Men Cat 3 included Chad Macy, Russ, Dan Cleary, Tom Manderfeld, Rob Belz and Skibby. In my 45+ event, Greg Goblirsch got 2nd behind Paul Mckinney of the Gopher Wheelmen. Other Loons in my race were Dave Ludwigson, Dan Meyer, Mike Lyner and Tim Power. Anyway, this course was not made for me. The big hill climb really took its toll as did the five sets of barriers. I pretty much raced with Tim Power and Todd Trembley. They did a lot better going up the climb than I did but I managed to pull away from them on the road section. Trembley dropped off with a sideache. My plan was to stay on Tim's wheel until the road section on the last lap. However, Tim stumbled after a set of barriers and dropped back. I got 21st overall and 15th in the 45+ for and 12 1/2 miles. Others racing included Women's winner Linda Sone, Kristiwood, Mark Engen and then Dave Meyer, Sam Meier, CJ Faulkner, Dan Casper, Hollywood, Ezra and many more in the A event. Thanks to Rob Halverson for the picture of the B 45+ Start. I'm second from the right.

Crossing Saint Paul Trails

Tom Bengel and I rode some of the single track trail systems of Saint Paul's north end. We crossed the border into Roseville too. It was great cross training. We jumped barriers, rode up some steep hills and pushed the bikes up some even steeper hills as we got in 18 miles.

More Cross Practice

I went to the park across the river and did some more cross training. Three times running up the hill and four times up the stairs. I got in 14 miles.

Trail Blazing...

I took the cross bike up into Roseville to ride some of the trail systems. While there, I checked an area where I thought there would be a trail. It was there! On the way back, I stopped at the Bicycle Chain. Tim was the only one working. I got in 16 miles.

Skating With The Oldies

Notice that was skating with the oldies and not skating to the oldies... I got the roller skis out Sunday and hit the roads of Lake Elmo with Jerry Engen and Barry Torgerson. Just another attempt to get in better shape for the ski season... How long will I keep making the effort? Since Kathleen had some stuff to do, I went to Lake DeMontreville with the 10 foot john boat equipped with the monster 6hp motor in the afternoon. I took the channel to Lake Olson and fished a while with out landing anything. Next, I trolled the weedline and caught a nice northern. I went back through the channel to DeMontreville and fished a while longer. I almost fell out of the boat and got my left arm wet but that's another story. I didn't catch any other fish but check out the picture of DeMontreville with the fall colors in the hills.

Ham Lake Cyclocross Report

I beat the main rival peeps at Ham Lake so I will mention their names... When they beat me on the hillier courses, of course (no pun intended), their names will not be mentioned... Yes it's true, I like the Ham Lake course. Flat, fast and a nice asphalt section where time trialing skills can be an asset. I was with a large pack hanging on to the back when we were slowed by lapped riders. A lot of the guys slowed down but I went around them on the left and found myself riding behind Maria Stewart at the front. A couple of turns later, I heard a loud crash. That was the end of the rest of the pack. It slowed them down enough that they were not a factor again. A lap later, I used a proven method to beat Rob Belz. I used to ride around on the course and wait for him to have a mechanical. He got the bike fixed so that forced me to go for option two, ride around until Rob gets into a crash... He did and that's when I passed him... Rob and Jeff Colbeth were involved in a crash caused by one of the younger riders. They were right in front of me. Well, actually, Maria Stewart was right in front of me. She got slowed down by the crash but I was able to go around it. I used the asphalt section to put distance between me and the chase group. At the line, I got 48th out of 70 finishers in the B Race. Rob wound up a few guys behind me and Tom Bengel was about ten guys back. Loons in front of me included old guys like Dan Meyer and Bill Kuster. The young Loons ahead of me were Alex Atherton, Dan Cleary, Chad Macy, Andy Frye and Tom Manderfeld. My fellow Loon State peeps placing behind me were the above mentioned Rob Belz, Tim ? and Tim Power. I got in 18 1/2 miles. Thanks to Rob Halvorson for the finish line pic...

Redline 3 Shakedown Cruise

After building up the new Redline Conquest frame yesterday evening, I rode down to the cyclocross training park across the river with Tom Bengel. The bike worked good. All I did was swap everything out from the old frame on to the new one. Tommy and I ran up the hill three times and climbed various sets of stairs a total of four times. This is the third Redline frame I've owned along with a Diamondback Podium which gives me four cyclocross bikes in the same time Tom Bengel has had one. I've sold a few of the others to raise cash at various times... Anyway, I got in 15 miles. Pictured are the Podium and the '06 Conquest Pro.

Third Time's The Redline

I got home from work today and my new Redline cross frame was on the porch. The first thing I did was take it downstairs. Then, I opened the box and began to swap out the parts from the old Redline. I worked pretty fast and had the whole thing done in a couple of hours. Check out the pics...

Cross Training

Tom Bengel and I went down to a local park across a river tonight where cyclocross training is done. No one was there but us... We rode, climbed stairs and carried the bike up a hill. I got in 12 miles but the main thing was the specific cross training which I need right now.

Check The Bike First

I raced the Wirth Cyclocross event today. Well, I did two laps... Since I'm waiting for a new frame to arrive, I borrowed John Wyland's Specialized Tricross. Anyway, the gears started slipping right away... I rode one warm-up lap without a problem but then again, I didn't put any pressure on the pedals like I did during the race. Every gear slipped. The problem might have a chain that was too long. I dropped out after two laps... It's always good to have excuses.

The Outdoorsman...

My second ride of October took place on the 10th. It was another step toward cyclocross shape as I rode an impressive 15 miles after work. Saturday was off the bike and devoted to the outdoors. In the morning, it was pheasant hunting in the fields, sloughs, swamps and cornfields of the east metro. Heard a few but didn't get any shots off. I did help Jerry Engen get a couple of geese when I scared them off the pond. Jerry didn't return the favor though. He drove a cornfield and a wood line but no pheasants took to the air. Later in the day, I did manage to catch four northern pike on one of my favorite east metro lakes. Drifting across the lake while flipping a twister jig and spinner blade worked great. I released all of them. Anyway the one picture is the hunting land facing the pond and the other is the biggest northern pike I landed.

Back On The Bike Again

I got back on the bike for the first time in almost two weeks... The ride of the day was only 14 miles on the Summit, River Blvd loop. I have to ease back into it and get in shape for the cross races... In other news, I made a big horsepower move today. I purchased a used Johnson 6hp outboard for my ten foot john boat. The motor belonged to a customer of mine. It needed a new fuel pump so I stopped at a marine dealer and bought one. I installed it in about 15 minutes... Anyway, it's a big boost from the 2.2hp Mercury I've got. Check out the pictures...

What Training?

Yeah, I haven't been doing a lot of training lately. As my other post indicated, my father passed away today after two years of numerous ailments and tons of pain. I did manage to ride the cross bike once before cracking the bottom bracket cup... Bye bye cross frame... I also rollerskied three times. Maybe that will help me lose the extra pounds. As soon as I get another cross frame I'll be back at the races. Caught a bass and northern while fishing with John Wyland on Thursday and got skunked hunting grouse with Jerry Engen on Friday.

Bill Junior Leaves Us Behind

My father, William J Tegeder Jr died this evening at 7:15pm. Thankfully, after a two year battle with numerous ailments that left him wreaked with pain, the end came. My wife Kathleen and I had just left the hospice facility when my brother Mike called to give us the news. A World War II veteran, he survived the D Day landing at Normandy and the Battle of the Bulge in the Ardennes Forest of Belgium. He lived 88 years and did the best he could to live the post war American dream. Besides being survived by Kathleen and me, he is survived by his wife of 61 years, Mary and sons Mike and Tom (Dorothy) along with his daughter Kathryn (Keith) and granddaughters Megan and Alison. Bill is also survived by an older brother Roy and a younger sister, Mary Catherine and many nieces and nephews. He was the youngest of five boys who grew up in Northeast Minneapolis. The picture is of Bill along with Mary during happier times.

Back On The Cross Bike

I got back on the cyclocross bike for the first time this season. I don't think I've ridden the Redline since the Cyclocross National Championships in Kansas City last December... I heard some squeaking from the bottom bracket so I need to re-grease it. I need to adjust the gears and lube the bike as well. Anyway, I rode the single track trails of Saint Paul's north end for 11 miles.

Hauling Stuff And A Stuffed Garage

Check out the picture of my truck loaded with sand and bricks. I've been hauling a lot of stuff lately for home projects as directed by my wife... The other picture shows a bunch of stuff filling the garage along with my john boat in the background which also is loaded with a bunch of stuff... I did manage to get in a 24 mile after work ride today. The route was the Lake Owasso Loop.

Short Rides And Body Work

I've been doing a few short rides lately mostly because of all the stuff I need to get done. A couple of 16 1/2 mile rides and one 17 mile ride are all I've gotten in in the last week. I have managed to haul a lot of dirt and brush though along with fixing the post on my old pickup. I took the sheet metal off a Chevy truck, drivers side post assembly I bought at the junkyard and attached it to my truck. First, I had to take the damaged sheet metal off my truck. I need to do some sanding, sealing, light welding and painting but so far it has turned out pretty good. Compare the before and after pictures.

Fat Tire Weekend

I planned on another tune-up ride Thursday before the Chequamagon 40 miler on Saturday. I grabbed the road bike and headed out the door after work. I got in a few miles before the rain started. Within a few seconds, it became a downpour. I blasted for home soaking wet and got in 11 miles... Friday at the Fat Tire Festival included a 6 1/2 mile tour of the Ojibwe Trail with Bill Stuber, Barry Torgerson, Jerry Engen and Lori Belz. Race day Saturday, I got my bike in line too far back from the front. I think I need to get there earlier than 8:15. Anyway, the cannon blasted and everyone took off... Well, those in front took off... For those of us in back, we got going in about a minute. I rode really well on the asphalt roads and then on the flat sections of the Birkie Trail, logging and forest roads. As usual, the uphills got me... My Niner set up as a 1 x 9 (36t chainring, 12-32 cogset) worked really well. The straight carbon fork worked great too. Anyway, I walked a few uphills including the Firetower Climb and only landed sideways in one of the many ponds on the course. I got a big leg cramp on the very last uphill but I rode through it and blasted the downhill to the finish line. My time for the 4o miler was 3:06. Bill Stuber came across the line in 3:11, Lee Bengel had a time of 3:15, Lori Belz clocked 2:58, Rob Belz had a time of 2:40. John Schmidt was 2:58, Dan Meyer rode to a 2:36 and Dave Meyer was at 2:31. John Wyland, Jay Wenner, Ron Belz, Stu Benson and Jerry Engen did the Short and Fat. It wasn't good for John, he flipped over the handlebars and broke his collar bone. Jerry had a better race and Stu clocked a 1:01. Jay Wenner's time was :57. Check out the picture taken by Bruce Adelsman... Do you thinkI was having fun?

Back On The Blog

It's been a week since I made my last entry to the blog... Hey, I've been busy! Riding, golfing, auto body work and yard work have kept me off the keyboard. I got in three rides since the last entry. Among them, a 23 mile Chequamagon mountain bike training ride at a local double track trail and last night's 28 mile TCBC Acapulco ride. Anyway, check out the truck pictures. I smashed the drivers side last winter on a cedar tree. I went to the junk yard, took a door off a Suburban and swapped everything out from my smashed door. Now I need to install the cab/door pillar section I picked up yesterday.

Donde Esta El Acapulco?

The Acapulco ride is in Stillwater and it's a TCBC ride. I rode it again last night with Jerry Engen, Lori Belz, Tom Bengel and Rob Belz. If you're searching for some great training rides, check out the TCBC schedule because every ride seems to be at race pace now... Another hammer fest just like the TCBC All Club ride last Saturday... The Belgian owner of the Bikery in Stillwater blew apart the pack. I got in 35 miles.

Big Ride Big Golf Big Weekend

The weekend started out with 18 holes of golf at Brackett's Crossing in Lakeville on Friday with my neighbor Dianne and a couple of her friends. It's a long course. I played from 6500 yards and got into trouble due to lack of familiarity with the course. 102 was the final score... Ouch! Saturday was the big TCBC ride out of Snail Lake to Scandia and back. Close to 65 miles of hammerfest riding. Yeah, I stayed with the lead pack which was whittled down to about ten guys but I barely hung on. Mark Stolpe, back from Idaho for a visit and John Wyland rode with me. Rob and Lori Belz were with the much bigger pack going in to Scandia but the big climb out of Marine dropped quite a few riders. I barely made it to the top where I joined John Wyland as we chased back on. I was gassed but I made it. Joe "Hammering"Hamlin was in the pack and he made the ride look easy. Jerry Engen did the shorter 50 mile route. Later in the day, I went to Golf Galaxy with my neighbor Dianne. She picked up a new driver and iron set. We then drove over to Oak Marsh where I shot 42 on the back nine. Sunday was nothing but golf. Kathleen and I played Valleywood in Apple Valley with a couple of friends. I shot 93 in windy conditions which wasn't too bad... Monday, we had a lot going on but I managed to get in a 16 mile cruise through the war zone, aka, the Republican National Convention. The protesters were out. I gave the thumbs up to every cop, trooper and paramedic I saw on duty. They had a tough job to do today. I continued on to Ohio where I took a right on Cherokee and then up Smith Avenue. From there, I rode over to 35E and the ride home. Is that Andy Kruse behind the mask smashing a window at the RNC in Saint Paul?

Another Acapulco Ride

The TCBC Acapulco Ride was on my agenda for Tuesday night. I joined Jerry Engen, Lori Belz, John Wyland, Rob Belz and Barry Torgerson and many others on the Bob Hoffman led ride. Before the ride started, I got in 23 miles and wound up with 54 1/2 after the ride was over. For some reason, I had a lot of power on the pedals. That's a rare occurrence these days...

Another Chipotle Lunch

I went for an 18 1/2 mile ride with the High Bridge/Smith Avenue and Fort Snelling on the route. I went through Minnehaha Park and crossed the bridge back into Saint Paul. All of a sudden I realized there wasn't any food in the fridge so I stopped at the Highland Chipotle for a burrito bowl. After that, I continued the ride back to home. Next up, cutting the grass and washing the sap off the beat-up white Chevy pick-up. I topped it off with a fishing expedition on Lake Demontreville using my monster 10 foot john boat and 2.2 horsepower mercury motor... The bass and northerns weren't biting so I tied on a small jig and caught a bunch of small sunfish...

Horses For Courses

There are certain horses for certain courses but they do not belong in the metro parks... I rode a Chequamagon Training ride at an east metro park where they allow horses, walkers and bikers on the trail. The horses crap all over the trail (their owners never pick it up), spook easily and they crush the trail into sand making it hard for the bikers and walkers to get through without sinking in... Oh yeah, they leave big holes in the trail too. If I sound a little too harsh, I was lectured by a woman on a horse who wasn't used to bikers. She said I should get off my bike and stand next to it while the horses go by. I told her it might be time to ride a horse that can handle a bike going slowly past it. I came across another horse who was scared when I approached and immediately crapped on the trail... I hope it wasn't a comment on me... Anyway, I got in 20 1/2 miles. Speaking of horses, which one do you prefer?

Go! Schnell! Vamanos! Allez!

The ride of the day was 24 miles on the Lake Owasso Loop. I rode the Specialized Allez. There was a strong wind out of the south on the way back to Saint Paul. Riding on the drops, keeping your back down like in a time trial, helped a lot.

Back On The Time Trial Bike

I raced the Ride and Glide Time Trial out in Withrow on Tuesday the 19th. Timmer won the event as usual. Other racers included Rick Christiansen, John Stamm, Mike Lyner, Sam Meier, Mike Davis, John Schmidt, Bill Kosfeld, John Wyland, Jim Cullen, Bill Callas, Steve Knowlton, Steve Skarvan and many more. I placed 31st out of 85 with an average speed of 24.08 mph.

Weekend Workouts

I rode Friday, Saturday and Sunday but didn't accumulate too many miles. The longest ride was today at 21 miles. I'm currently in a low motivation zone due to my excess pounds... Here's the new plan; 1) No soda, 2) Drink more water, 3) Eat more fruits and vegetables, 4) Cut out the candy and rolls, 5) Stop drinking beer for a while, 6) I'm not sure if I can totally stop drinking beer... It is summer-time and the weather is hot... I'll limit myself to just a few each week... In other news, I took out the big 10' john boat on its maiden voyage... I got a 2.2 horespower Mercury motor from one of my customers. He told me to keep it for now and that he didn't want any money for it... He said if he ever needs it he'll call me. Can't beat that... Anyway, I caught a northern on a plastic worm and a sunfish on a bare hook... I might have to hit the golf course too.

Call Me Captain...

I'm the Captain of a new boat. I bought a ten foot john boat from one of my customers for $200. Some things I need to purchase are life jackets/seat cushions, a drain plug, oars and an outboard motor. I'll use it to fish the local lakes... When I got home with the boat, I took my bike out for a 15 mile speed session ride... Moving on up too... I finally gave in and bought my first pair of size 36 inch waist jeans...

A Ride On The East Side

I took off from the house after work and rode east on Summit, through the Capitol area and east on Phalen Blvd. You can always tell you're on the east side of Saint Paul when you ride on the streets. They are rarely swept and glass and junk litters the side of the road. Nice bike lane... Mayor Chris Coleman knows where to spend the street maintenance money... Highland, Mac-Groveland, Merriam Park, Crocus Hill, Summit Ave. The north end and west side are treated like the east side... Anyway, I rode back via Phalen Golf Course where I came across Bill Stuber riding home. We talked for a while. I noticed my rear wheel was soft so I took out the CO2 inflator and gave the tire some air. The total miles were a little more than 16.

Back From Waukesha

I was in Waukesha for a company meeting on Thursday and Saturday so I was off the bike for a few days. Bill Stuber and Jerry Engen joined me for a 29 mile ride through Lake Elmo, Grant Township, Stillwater and Lakeland on Saturday the 9th. I was planning a Sunday ride but trap shooting and the PGA Championship got in the way...

Back In The Hills

The after work ride was a 25 mile trip up the High Bridge/Smith Avenue and up Ohio. I needed the hill work. After that, I rode time trial simulation on the road next to the Mississippi River. Next, I cruised over the Mendota Bridge to Fort Snelling. I followed the river north to Lake Street and then crossed the bridge back to Saint Paul and Summit Avenue.

Back In Town

The after work ride was a cruise up to Lake Owasso and back. I stopped at the Bicycle Chain because my brake pads were worn too thin. They put some new ones on and then I bought four more 16gm CO2 cartridges. I threw them $5 for the DQ right in their parking lot... The total miles were 22.

Up North

I went up North for the weekend on 8/1. The old Firehouse 50 took place but I didn't race. I tried to get in to the time trial a week ago but the race was filled. John Wyland, Jeff Arndt and I drove to Grandview, rode 30 miles and then caught the finish of the race. Saturday night, I took a kayak out fishing and had one bass on. He jumped out of the water and spit the hook... Sunday morning, John Schmidt, Wyland, Arndt and I rode the single speed mountain bikes on the Mosquito Brook and Hatchery Trails. Those guys hammered. I was fine until I got into the rocky section. My back really bothered me so I had to take it easy. I got in 14 miles.

Too Hot To Race

I would have considered doing the Blackdog time trial tonight but I don't like to race with temps in the 90sF... In fact, just riding in hot temps bothers me... As a result, I did an easy 14 mile ride on the Summit, River Blvd loop.

Hot And Bothered...

I rode the weekly TCBC Acapulco Tuesday night ride out of Stillwater. The long course is 36 miles but Rob Belz and I started early and got in 43. It was really hot but as soon as we got into the Afton valleys and the shade, the temp dropped. Of course, we had to ride out of Afton on the way back and got blasted by the heat again. Lori Belz, Jerry Engen, Barb and Pete Thurmes, Big Kim, LSC teammate Dave Herhly and ride leader Bob Hoffman were among the many others.

It's Official...

The Garmin GPS Forerunner 205 is a piece of crap... Go under a tree and the thing drops 5mph and you lose distance. I'm going back to computers on all of my bikes. Who wants a Garmin? Anyway, I got in 23 miles after work today. I rode Summit to the Capitol. Next, I went through downtown and over to the West Side. From there I rode to Fort Snelling, through Minnehaha Park and back home via River Blvd and Summit.

The World Of Bike Race Announcing...

The Capitol Classic State Criterium Championships was held today at the famed and storied Minnesota Capitol grounds. Like the last two years, I had the privilege of announcing the event. It was a long day as usual but the races went well with great weather.

On The Road To Hudson...

I left Saint Paul and headed east to Hudson on Saturday, July 26th. The route was Minnehaha/10th all the way to Stagecoach Trail. I got to Stagecoach and 94 but instead of continuing on to Hudson, I thought I should get in some of the Afton Hills instead... I rode down to Afton and went up the big Trading Post climb. Then, I went down old 95 into Afton and rode up the Coulee I made my back to Saint Paul via 30th where I got a flat halfway up a steep climb. I changed that out and continued on through Woodbury and back home to Saint Paul. I got over 52 miles.

Allez!

I don't speak French but I finally got around to putting teflon tape on the bottom bracket cups of my Specialized Allez. All I had between the cups and the frame was some Phil Wood grease. The squeaking was really loud. With the teflon tape in place, the problem stopped. It might take a few days to determine if I stopped the problem for good. Anyway, after the repair, I got in 23 miles on my loop around Lake Owasso.

The Mexican

It was another TCBC weekly ride starting at the Mexican themed Acapulco restaurant in Stillwater. Led by former CAT 2 rider Bob Hoffman, the ride goes south into the Afton Hills and back. I stayed with the lead four man pack through most of the Afton hills but I struggled on the climbs. After we left Afton, we had one more climb on Indian Trail. I decided to drop back to the second pack because I thought chasing those guys up Indian Trail might put me into a bonk. Anyway, I got in 46 miles. Jerry Engen and Barry Torgerson did the 29 mile ride.

Fryed

I made a big mistake on my ride today. Fresh off the plane from Saratoga Springs, New York, I rode down Summit and headed for the High Bridge. My legs were tired from a lack of miles the last week and also from the 2,000 foot mountain climb I did on Saturday. Anyway, a block before the High Bridge, there was Andy Frye, on a ride, stopped trying to fix his brake. He got it working and I rode up the High Bridge with him. He dropped me at the 2nd to last stop light on Smith Avenue... I was hurting carrying 180 up the climb (I know, my own fault). We continued on and he buried me on the next climb... It was like he was a rocket shot out of a cannon! He's in shape. We rode back down the High Bridge and went up the Irvine climb together. About 3/4ths of the way up, he took off again! Thankfully, he waited up for me. We rode west on Summit and down to River Blvd. From there, we went south to Ford Parkway. He crossed the bridge for home while I made a U-turn and did the same thing. I ran into an old ski and mountain bike buddy, Bill Quinn, who was out riding a three speed. I got in 21 1/2 miles.

Prospecting

After watching the TDF and British Open on TV on Saturday, July 19th, I spent the last full day of vacation in Saratoga Springs, New York by climbing Prospect Mountian. First, on a hunch, I stopped by the OTB (off track betting parlor) thinking my father-in-law might be there. He was... I tried to buy him lunch but he insisted on buying me lunch instead. I had the BLT. They have great food at the OTB... Back to Prospect Mountain... I started out climbing the 2,000 foot vertical ascent next to Lake George with thunder rumbling in the distance. About a fifth of the way up, the clouds broke loose and heavy rain started to fall. I stood under a big pine tree for ten minutes while the storm passed... After the rain stopped, I blasted up the mountain. The climb to the top of Prospect is much steeper and shorter than the climb up Buck Mountain. The trail was slippery and there was a lot of fog and mist from the high humidity and 90F+ temps. While Buck Mountain is on the south east side of the lake, Prospect sits on the southwest flank. The hike back down the mountain is really hard because of the steep rock faces and numerous rocks and roots lining the trail. Check out the view from the top.

On A Bike After 8 Days Off

Like I said, vacationing with the wife's relatives consisted of golf, beer, ice cream and cheeseburgers... After the Buck Mountain climb on Wednesday, I rode the CoBro's (common-law-brother-in law... He's only lived with my sister-in-law for ten years...) beater GT mountain bike on Thursday the 17th of July. It creaks with every turn of the crank but it isn't worth putting any money into it. I made a circle of Saratoga Springs with a stop at the Blue Sky bike shop. They sell Trek, Specialized and Giant. That's a pretty good line-up. They also carry Serotta and Independent Fabrication. After that, I rode over to the Saratoga Spa State Park golf course and found a bunch of golf balls scattered in the poison ivy... Well, I grabbed the ones that weren't in the ivy... From there, I rode past the Serotta factory which is right in Saratoga where Ben S set up shop years ago. I've stopped in there a few times over the last two decades but skipped the visit this time... I rode on into Balston Spa and then headed back to Saratoga and the sister-in-law's house. I got in 16 miles.

Buckmaster

I was out in Saratoga Springs on vacation all last week visiting my wife's relatives. On the agenda was golf, beer, ice cream and cheeseburgers... I did manage to climb Buck Mountain with former Reliable Racing Nordic Manager Dave Matthews on Wednesday the 16th. The Buck Mountain climb starts at Lake George at 320 feet above sea level and climbs to 2,346 feet in 3 miles. I don't know why I can't climb on the bike (could be the extra pounds) but I can hike up a mountain faster than just about anyone. Notice I said hike. Running hurts my flat feet too much but hiking isn't so bad. I waited up for Dave a few times but we still blasted up the climb in one continuous push. Check out the picture from the top at over 2,000 feet above the lake. If only we had mountains like that here...

More Hills

Today was the third straight day of rides with hill climbs. Yesterday's TCBC hammer-fest had my legs pretty stiff. I managed to climb a few hills and push some big gears on my 16 mile cruise through parts of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. One of the hills I climbed was Ramsey. I was in my 39 x 25 and really had to hang on... A big SPBRC group ride was out on Summit.

Off The Front

I joined Rob and Lori Belz and Barry Torgerson on the TCBC Acapulco ride out of Stillwater. The route goes down to Afton and back and includes some of the big hills there. Rob and I rode with the first pack. A couple of the guys hammered... I barely made it up the hills and was always the last one in line... Toward the end of the ride though, I dropped most of them on the flat sections... We got in 39 miles.

Climbing

I need to work on my hill climbing... Today I rode up Ohio from the bottom to the top twice and also went up the High Bridge/Smith Avenue. Lastly, I climbed Irvine on the way back to Summit and home. There were other guys riding Ohio too. I got in 17 miles.

Party'n On The Fourth Of July Weekend...

We had the big and annual Fourth of July Party on Friday, July 4th! Bike peeps having a good time were Jerry Engen, Lori Belz, Tom and Lee Bengel, Rob Belz, John Wyland and Bill Stuber. Malted beverages were served as were the usual 4th fares. I got in 19 miles earlier in the day on the Summit, River Blvd loop. Saturday, I saved myself for Sunday's Firecracker MTB Race in Eau Claire. So, I got in 9 holes of golf at the famed and storied Phalen track in Saint Paul. Today, I drove over to Eau Claire with Bill Stuber for the said Firecracker MTB Race. I got 7th in the Sport 50-54 Category. I thought the race was three laps so I saved a little for the last lap only to find out with a 1/4 mile to go that it was only two laps... I was glad to be done anyway... Tom Bengel caught and passed me before the last hill so I stayed right on his wheel. Until the hill that is... He pulled away. Tommy, Jerry Engen, Rob Belz and Lori Belz all placed in their categories and got hardware. Lee Bengel, Stubes and I did not... Shane Kullman and Dave Hoagland did the Expert event. I got in 17 1/2 miles.

Ten...

I got in a whopping 10 miles on Wednesday. I was too busy, as I have been lately, so my miles have been down the last two weeks. I did manage to get in a couple of hill climbs though...

Cruising The Lakes

The first day of July got me out for a spin around the lakes. The route was my Owasso loop which took me past Gervais Lake, Lakes Owasso and Wabasso and lastly, Como Lake. You were probably expecting the Minneapolis lakes but why fight the traffic and the lousy road surface (especially around Lake of the Isles (thanks RT Rybak...)) when you can ride the less congested roads of Ramsey County... I got in 24 miles.

Riding Again

I got back on the bike for the first time Saturday after Wednesday's track crash. I was still a little sore but I rode up the High Bridge and over to and through Fort Snelling and Minnehaha Park. The total miles were 19.

Miss 'N Out At The Track

I missed out on racing the track Thursday night which included the Miss and Out event... Thanks to my Wednesday crash and slide from the top of the 43 degree banked corner down to the infield. Ouch!!! I took today off the bike as well... I'm thinking the new track, when it's built, should have a Pergo surface or something that doesn't give you road rash. Another thing; Why would anyone pay more than $60 for bike shorts? Yeah, I need those $180 Castelli or DeMarchi or Assos shorts so I can rip them up like I did to these Mt Borahs... How long can The Colorado Cyclist stay in business? You can get a pair of fancy shorts for $180 or shop somewhere else, like your favorite local bike shop, and spend $60 on shorts and save the $120 for the gas tank...

Splintered...

I hit the boards at the NSC Velodrome Development Races on Wednesday night. I mean that literally... I was riding on top of the banked corners while watching the action below, instead of paying attention to what I was doing... It wasn't a good idea. I must have clipped a pedal or something because the next thing I knew, I was sliding down the track. Colton Barret was kind of in my way on the way down, I clipped his bike but he was able to ride out of it. Tons of board burn... Among the wounds, both forearms, upper right arm, right hip, left buttock, lower left leg and both hands. Ouch... I raced the 500m and 1000m after the crash but I was pretty beat up.

The Garmin Is Working Again

My Garmin Forerunner 205 decided to work today as the picture shows. I rode 31 miles over to the east side of Saint Paul and then up to North Oaks. It was a great evening for a ride. Sorry about the previous post in German. I didn't want to swear in English...

Mein Garmin ist ein stuck aus shiest!

Mein Garmin Forerunner 205 is ein stuck aus shiest! es war kaput heute tag Juni 23rd. Aber, ich gehen viertzig kilometers zum Owasso und zuruck. Hier ist ein photo die kaput Garmin auf mein fahrad.

Party On...

Rob Belz had his annual summer ride and party on June 21st. First, Jerry Engen, Charlie Ganzhorn, Rob, Lori and Ron Belz and I rode some mountain bike trails south of Hudson. We got in 8 miles. Then, we partied at Rob and Pam's house. Jay Wenner and his wife and Tom Bengel and his family showed up too. A T-Bone on the grill, a little cole slaw, some grilled peppers and plenty of beer...

The Teginator Tackles The Track

It was Thursday Night Lights at the famed and storied NSC Velodrome. I raced the Cat 4/5 10 Lap Scratch Race and the 10 Lap Miss and Out. The good news, I wasn't last in either race. Among the racers were my teammate Andy Frye along with Paul McKinney, Dan Casper and about ten others. Frye got 2nd in the Miss and Out to Dan Casper's first place. Casper just time trialed it and ran away from everyone. Other racers in other categories included Mike Lyner, Jim Cullen and Mike Lyner in the Cat 3. Plus Timmer, Ben and Joe Dubay and Kevin Schaefer in the Cat 1/2. Lindsey Hamilton, the Dahlman Twins, Barb Harrick and Linda Sone did the women's events. John Thompson showed up to watch. I brought the Masi Coltello along with a drop handlebar for the races. The drop handlebar brought is oversized and I have a regular size stem on the Masi. My mistake. As a result, I had to use a track loaner which was geared way too easy. I wound up spinning out in both races.

Mister Mechanic

I rode the TCBC Acapulco Ride on Tuesday night. It was a pretty good size crowd with Lori Belz, Jerry Engen, Rob Belz and Barry Torgerson among the riders. Jerry and I were riding along when a guy in front of us broke his chain. I stopped to help and grabbed a Shimano chain pin to complete the fix. Jerry and I continued on and met up with the group again on the way back. The total miles were 22.

Still Waters Run Deep With Cyclists

Tons of peeps, I mean TONS of PEEPS showed up for the NVGP Stillwater Criterium today. Tom and Nora Bengel, Paul McKinney, Todd Johnson, his bro-in-law Drake, U of M Brian, Rob Belz and I rode the twenty five miles from Saint Paul, out to Stillwater for the event. Everyone in Twin Cities cycling was practically there so I won't mention all the names but was it a blast! In the Men's 2/3 race, Patrick Horrigan of Loon State took second place! Greg Goblirsch was in there for a while before taking a nasty crash against the steel fencing at the bottom of the steep downhill section. He lost some blood due to minor scrapes but once the shock wore off, he was okay. Jim Cullen was in the race too. He pulled off the best recovery move I think has ever happened in a race. He to went careening into the same steel fence that got Goblirsch. Except, Cullen used his brute strength to elbow himself upright and pull out of it before he could go down. It was amazing!!! Alex Atherton and Chris Clark also raced the event. Kristin Armstrong destroyed everyone in the women's pro event. Linda Sone held on for quite a few laps. In the men's pro race, the top dogs took command but Doug Swanson lasted a decent number of laps. Hollywood had Tommy, Rob, me and a few other guys throw on Hollywood Cycles T-shirts and run up the hill behind the top guys on several laps. The officials finally shut that down... Other Loons watching included Skibby, Frye, Stamm, Meyer and Ludwigson. Lori Belz was there too. We rode back home and got in a total of 50 miles. The picture is me chasing Kristin Armstrong up the hill at the finish of the race. Notice, I got the Hollywood sign and the Loon State Jersey (with the Bicycle Chain logo) in the picture. Kids, don't try this at home... I'm a trained professional...

Back Up To Speed

Time trial training once every two weeks at Black Dog isn't quite enough. It's back to weekly Timmer time trial ladder interval sessions. I actually made it through his complete workout Saturday. I did one minute followed by two minutes followed by three minutes all at race pace or slightly under. From there, it was back down with one at two minutes. I totally sucked at the second two minute interval. Lastly, it was back down to one minute which I put in at a decent speed again. I got in 17 miles on the Specialized Allez time trial training bike.

Downtown Friday Night

Tom Bengel, Rob Belz and I rode to the downtown Minneapolis Nature Valley Grand Prix Criterium Friday night. As usual, we worked as Corner Marshals on the Start/Finish Line. Because of our fine work, every thing was fine on our section of the course... Tons of peeps were out viewing the race including Mike Lyner, John Stamm, Patrick Horrigan, Dale and Joan Forde, Lee, Nora and Jan Bengel, Steve Skarvan, Bike Swap Alex, Paul Krafthoffer, Hollywood, Timmer, Dave Meyer, Jim Redmond, John and Carol Thompson, Jay Dworsky, Bill and Jeanie Kosfeld, Scott Sjoquist, Paul Schoening and many more. Once again, our local racers had a good night. Linda Sone and Theresa Moriarity were right up there with the top women and Doug and Dan Swanson stayed with the main group almost the whole race. After the race, we ate at Chipotle and then rode home with Lee Bengel joining us. We got in 17 miles. The picture is of the lovely Rachel from the Toyota United Team. I took her picture so I could win free socks from the Pez Cycling News web page Babe Shot contest...

Back At Buck

A dry Thursday night got me back down to Buck Hill for the race series. I caught a ride there with Tom and Lee Bengel. Lori Belz showed up to race too as did Shane Kullman, Cory Stuhr and Barry and Ali Tungseth. As usual, it was a blast. I rode my single speed with a 2 x 1 gear. I only crashed once on a slippery downhill section. My time was 42:32 for the two lap event and I placed 18th out of 37. Tom and Lee did the four lap race and Lori won the women's two lap contest.

A Night At The Races

Tom Bengel, John Thompson, Paul McKinney and I worked as Corner Marshals for the Nature Valley Grand Prix in downtown Saint Paul on Wenesday the 11th. The event was pretty screwed up with rain, crashes, relegated results and a motorcycle sliding into some racers on the corner next to ours. Anyway, I was the only one of us who was actually doing any work... Bengel and McKinney were talking to each other the whole time and Thompson was sitting on the curb talking to his daughter... Of course, with my years of Corner Marshal experience, I had the situation under control... It was fun watching our local racers like Linda Sone, Theresa Moriarity, Dan and Doug Swanson and others competing with the best. In fact, our local racers finished a lot higher than many of the pros.

Riding Now

I rode with the Now Bikes guys tonight. Riders from the Toyota United Bike Team, in town for the Great River Energy Festival, were supposed to join the ride but their bikes didn't arrive in time. We rode over to Fort Snelling and then along the River to Ohio. From there, we went down the High Bridge and back up to Summit via Irvine. The total ride was 20 miles. In other news, I finished the Masi Track bike pictured to the left.

Back On The Bike

After taking Sunday off the bike, I got back on today. I rode down Summit where I came across GS whatever (you know, that new club out of GP with Dave Bucholz and Jim Redmond among others...) rider Dave Peterson cruising along. Dave and I go way back to our cross country skiing days in the early 90s. We rode through downtown Saint Paul where Dave kept going to the east side. I turned north and rode Como Avenue over and around Como Lake. From there I went south on Hamline and then over to Lexington to Summit and back home. I only got in 17 miles but I was working on the Masi track bike before the ride. All I have left on the Masi is to put bar tape on it. BTW, the Garmin 205 GPS unit isn't working... Again...

Spectating, Shooting...

Jerry Engen and I drove down to Afton Alps to watch the mountain bike race. Loon State teammate Rob Belz finished 7th in the Sport category age 40-44. It was a tough course with all of the recent rain. Tom Bengel rode the single speed category. Others racing included Gary Freidel, Steve Kapaun and Dave Meyer. After that, Big Jer and I went over to the Hudson Gun Club and shot the rifles. Jerry shot his .223 and used my .22 and .17HMR. I must have shot around 70 rounds. The .22 was spot on at 50 yards and the .17HMR was on target (not the bullseye) at 100 yards. I came home and cut the grass. I needed a day off the bike... My flat feet were killing me (and still are as I type this...) but that wasn't why I took a rest day from the bike...

Golf, Graduation, Cycling

It was a bis Saturday as I golfed with the sister-in-law and ex cousin-in-law at Mill Run golf course in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. From there, it was on to my wife's cousin's daughter's high school graduation in Eau Claire. Tons of great food as those Italians always make... After that, I drove home and took the bike out for a 20 mile ride in the evening. I didn't feel like riding but I needed to burn off those calories...

Fixed On Summit

After the wind settled down and the sky cleared, I went for a 16 mile cruise of Summit Avenue and River Blvd. I took out the Windsor fixed gear track bike. A lot of riders were out getting in some miles.

Thanks Dad!

64 years ago today, my father, Bill Tegeder, was a 24 year-old seargent in the U.S. Army's 348th Engineering outfit. He hit Omaha Beach after the Infantry had gone in. His job was to clear the beach for more soldiers who followed. It took three tries for his boat to get to shore. The first two times, German shelling drove them back out. After D-Day, his outfit worked their way into Belgium where he happened to be in December of 1944 when something called the Battle of the Bulge broke out. Not on the front lines, German buzz bombs kept them on their toes in camp. The 348th followed the Germans into their homeland to construct pontoon bridges where the bridges were blown-up in retreat. When the war ended, he spent another few months in Germany before going home. He's not doing too well at age 88. Cancer and other ailments have taken their toll. But, I want to thank him again for doing his part to make life easier for all of us. By the way, that's mom on the left. She was a Marine in WWII.

Blackdog Three

The third Blackdog Time Trial of the season took place on Wednesday, June 4th. The conditions were perfect with only a slight headwind on the way back. My time of 16:41 was a 13 seconds slower than two weeks ago though. I dropped one place by taking 6th in the 50+. Fellow 50+ Loon State riders included Dave Ludwigson at 15:45, John Stamm in 16:32 and Mike Lyner at 16:58. Among the other riders were Chad Macy, Jim and Jordan Cullen, Bill Kosfeld, Paul Krafthoffer, Rob Ogren, Dave Peterson, Dan Casper, Dan Swanson, Hollywood and Christy Creme, Jim Redmond, Dave Bucholz, Steve Knowlton and many more.

East Side Story

Tuesday, June 3rd was another typical Acapulco TCBC ride in the hilly Saint Croix Valley. The front group hammered but I rode with my peeps Jerry Engen, Lori Belz, John Wyland, Barry Torgerson and Rob Belz further back. Ride leader Bob Hoffman rode with our group as did Barb Thurmes. We got in 37 1/2 miles. The picture shows Rob and Lori Belz and John Wyland cruising along by the Lake Elmo Airport.

Round Two

After watching the Giro wrap-up on Versus, I went up to the track and rode a few races. Yeah, my legs were tired from the morning ride but at my track skill level, it didn't make much of a difference. My Loon State teammates Alex Atherton, Mike Lyner and Andy Frye were there as well. Andy Kruse put on the races with Bill Nicholson as the official. I clocked a 15.72 in the Flying 200 and a 1:32 in the Kilometer. While I wasn't last, I didn't threaten any track records. It was a fun time though. With the racing and riding, I got in 9 miles for a total of 37 for the day. I rode the Windsor.

West Side Story

Tom, Lee and Nora Bengel, Dano Barret, Cody Scott, Rob Belz and I rode over to the west side of Saint Paul, into West Saint Paul, Mendota Heights and back across the Mendota Bridge to Fort Snelling, Minnehaha Park and back to Saint Paul for a total of 28 miles. The weather was perfect and we hit a few big hills along the way.

Alpine Ascent

Afton Alps was where the action was at on Saturday. Rob Belz, Cody Scott, Tom Bengel and I rode from Rob's house in Afton over to Afton Alps where did a lap and a half of the sport course. I rode my single speed (the Teginator) with a 36 x 18 gear and man was that tough! The course has tons of roots and rocks. It was a good workout though. After riding, Jerry Engen dropped by Rob's house. We shot Jerry's crossbow and then I blasted a few rounds with my 22. Anyway, we got in a little over 16 1/2 miles.

Punk'd

I took the Specialized Allez out for a short 12 mile spin after work. I didn't have a lot of time to ride since the mother-in-law is coming in to town tonight... Anway, I rode east on Summit and then went up the High Bridge/Smith Avenue to the top. Rain started falling while I was riding up Smith. I turned around at the top and went back down the hill and back to the east side of the river. As I was approaching Ramsey Hill, two punks in a car yelled at me to get off the road. Of course there was a confrontation... I had some words with them. told them I was a Ramsey County prosecutor (I'm not even a lawyer...) and told them I would give their license plate number to the cops who I said I knew... Plus, I told them they looked like they were on probation already... Their attitude changed immediately... I continued up Ramsey Hill with out any problems...

Big Wednesday

The Loon State Stone Arch Ride took place as usual this evening. I met up with the guys at Franklin and East River Road. Among the riders were Mike Delaney, Tim Lewis, Patrick Horrigan and John Stamm. Scott Olson joined us on River Blvd. As usual, we followed the river to Downtown Saint Paul, went up the High Bridge/Smith Road and then continued on to the short but steep Marie Climb. We turned and went down the west side of the river by the yacht club and then took Ohio to Cherokee. From there it was down the High Bridge, up Ramsey Hill and then we circled back and went up Irvine. I cut off for home on Summit and got in 33 miles on the Specialized Allez.

Acapulco In May

The Acapulco Restaurant and Bar in Stillwater is the meeting point for the TCBC ride of the same name on Tuesday nights. I didn't get there in time for the start. I parked at Jerry Engen and Lori Belz' house in Lakeland and rode down into Afton to meet up with the group on the backside of the Coulee. The ride hits some nice hills on it's 36 mile route. In the main pack were Rob Belz and his sister Lori. I rode back to Stillwater with the pack and then Rob, Lori and I headed back to Lakeland. I got in 31 1/2 miles on the Specialized Allez.

Twins!

I was cruising east on Summit Avenue when twin sisters Melissa and Heidi Douman caught up to me on their road bikes. They joined me for a ride up the High Bridge and Smith Avenue and then south to Marie Avenue where we turned west, went up the big climb under 35E and then headed across the Mendota Bridge. From there, we rode along the river through Fort Snelling and up into Minnehaha Park. Then, it was north on West River Road. The big storm front came through as we got to Lake Street. Fierce winds and driving rain hit us for a short while. They continued on to the U of M and I crossed the Lake Street Bridge and headed for home. Climbing the High Bridge, Melissa dropped me like Alex Atherton on the Stone Arch ride... That kid can climb! I tried talking them into joining the Loon State team... I got in 20 miles and rode the Allez.

TCBC All Club Ride

The TCBC All Club ride was today. As usual, we left from Snail Lake Park in Shoreview and rode out to Scandia and back for 60 miles. I was toast from Wednesday and Thursday races but I managed to make it there and back. Tons of people were there including Rob, Ron and Lori Belz, Barry Torgerson, Pete and Barb Thurmes and Jerry Engen. I rode the Roubaix.

36 x 18

I rode the big Buck Hill Mountain Bike Series 2 Lap Race Thursday night at the famed and storied Buck Hill Ski Area. The bike of choices was the Teginator Specialized Stump Jumper Single Speed. My time was 40:31 as I rode a 2 to 1, 36 x 18 gear. Things went pretty well until I heard a clicking sound coming from my crankset. After the race, I checked it out... One of the chainring bolts fell off! I got a nice prize in the raffle drawing. My schwag included a Salsa water bottle and a Salsa short sleeve jersey. Score (copyright Rob Belz)! Others racing included Rob Belz, Lori Belz, Tom Bengel (who I drove with) Shane Kullman, Barry Tungseth, C J Faulkner and many more. Jerry Engen rode around whil we raced.

Doggin' It

The second Black Dog Time Trial of the season took place on the 21st. What a great night for racing. The temp was warm and there was hardly a wind in the air. That made for perfect conditions as over 160 racers showed up for the event. I had my best race of the season by clocking a 16:28 for the 7 mile course. That was 56 seconds faster than two weeks ago. I moved up a few places too as I took 5th out of 18 in the 50 plus. Among the other Loon State racers were Dan Cleary, John Stamm, Dave Ludwigson, Jim Cullen, Jordan Cullen and Tim Power. Others racing included Dan Casper, Dan and Doug Swanson, Timmer, Aric Hareland, Hollywood, Andy Kruse, Bill Kosfeld, Steve Knowlton and many more. Thanks to Bruce Adelsman of skinnyski.com for the picture.

After The Worlds

The Tuesday Night World crit races at the famed and storied Opus business park ended for the season tonight... As usual, the series drew a big crowd. I worked the cash register at every TNW crit... I'm done counting other peoples money for the year... Anyway, I rode out from Saint Paul on the Greenway Trail and rode back with Bill Stuber. I got in 33 miles. Thanks to all those who helped out at the registration table this year including Shane (big props to him) Kullman, Mike Delaney, Skibby, Mark K, Bob R et el...

High Speed

The high speed I'm referring to is not my pace during the Cable Off Road 18 Mile Mountain Bike Race on Saturday. It is referring to the $186 speeding ticket Wisconsin's finest gave me on Friday... Trooper T Weiberg would not cut me any slack. I got the ticket after forgetting to drop the cruise control when I turned off 65mph Hwy 53 and on to 55mph Hwy 63... If I had only been 5mph over the limit, the ticket would have ONLY been $160... The day didn't turn out too bad though. I caught this 3 pound largemouth bass in Nelson Lake. A chartreuse spinner bait was too hard for him to resist as I tossed it up against a floating bog. He was set free to fight another day. As for the race Saturday, I continue to lose valuable time climbing hills. I had good speed on the flats and downhills and the 1x9 Niner EMD with the straight carbon fork performed really well. Anyway, I got 21st place and 3rd in the 50-54. I brought home the hardware... Other Loons who had good days were Rob Belz who got 7th (3rd age) in the 18 miler, Dave Hoagland who got 21st (first age group) in the 23 miler finishing with Hollywood, Dave Meyer and former Loon Barry Tungseth. LSC member Bill Stuber and his son Joe raced in the 18 mile event and John Wyland did the 23 mile race. Others racing included Stu Benson, Charlie Ganzhorn, John Schmidt, Bill Kosfeld and many more.

A Few Time Trial Training Miles

I took out the time trial training bike for some intervals after work today. Cruising down Summit, Jens (John Kortbein) caught up to me and we rode together to River Blvd. That's where I started the time trial intervals. Maybe it was the hill ride last night or maybe I'm still recovering from the Synergy Time Trial on Saturday but I just didn't have a lot in the legs tonight. I still did five intervals but the longest one was a little under 2 minutes. Anyway, I only rode 12 miles.

Conserving Energy

I went on the Loon State Stone Arch ride this evening. Tons of teammates were on hand including Delaney, Stamm, A Squared, Horrigan, Loecken, Larry, Scott O, Paidosh, Lewis and a few others. We rode the usual hills including the High Bridge/Smith Avenue, Ohio and Ramsey. We rode a little more conservatively than a few weeks back. I got in 35 miles.